9 men detained over assault on policemen

GEORGE TOWN: The police have detained nine men for investigation into an assault on four policemen who attempted to disperse a fight between two groups involving 30 men in front of the Lebuh Pantai police station on Friday.

A police spokesman said in the 1am incident, the four policemen were on duty at the station when they went to disperse the fight, and instead were allegedly assaulted.

He said the fight only stopped after a few other policemen arrived and apprehended nine of the suspects.

Following investigation, it was learnt that the fight broke out after members of one of the groups wanted to lodge a police report on an earlier fight involving them at Persiaran Bayan Indah, Bayan Baru near here, but was prevented by the other group, he said.

Barat Daya district police chief Supt A Anbalagan, when contacted, confirmed the incident and said that police were looking for others involved in the assault on the policemen.

Meanwhile, in Bukit Mertajam, two men, believed to be gang members, have been detained by the police for allegedly extorting protection money from a trader at Jalan Rozhan, Machang Bubok here.

Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district police chief ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said the suspects, both in their 30s and with previous records, were arrested in the Bukit Mertajam area and police seized RM400 from them.

“Based on investigation, the two men contacted the trader and demanded RM1,000 from him as protection money.

“The suspects, who claimed to be the ‘taiko’ (gang leader) in the area threatened to beat the trader if he refused to hand over the money,” he told reporters here yesterday.

He said the trader, fearing for his safety, lodged a police report.

In another development, Nik Ros Azhan said four men, including students, aged between 17 and 20, were detained by the police for allegedly selling ketum water in a raid at Taman Nirwana, Machang Bubok here. — Bernama